


Heaven Bent

by Floral_and_Fine



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:47:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26170666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Floral_and_Fine/pseuds/Floral_and_Fine
Summary: The reader finds Sophia lost in the woods, too bad neither of them have any sense of direction.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Reader, Daryl Dixon/You
Comments: 10
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first time writing anything for The Walking Dead fandom, but this idea was too cute to pass up!

You stopped in your tracks, taking in your surroundings. You found yourself in a small clearing amongst all the tall trees. This part of the forest looked familiar…maybe.

You furrowed your brows and spun back around, looking to where you just emerged, then turned your head back to look ahead. 

“Fuck,” you muttered to yourself, it all looked the same to you. Just leaves, bark, twigs, not a damn thing stuck out. 

Sighing, you continued to trudge forward, you didn’t even have a mild clue as to what direction you were traveling in, but it was better than just standing in one place, right? It’s not like there was anybody out there looking for you. 

Getting lost wasn’t a big surprise, necessarily, you had always been directionally challenged your whole life. Growing up, you used to live by woods similar to these, as a kid you believed there was something magical about it. Spending hours exploring, not realizing you were lost until it started getting dark out. 

But that was back when the world was a safer place. Usually, the sounds of things like car horns and roaring traffic would help guide you to the nearest road, or your mother would come looking for you, shouting out your name so you could follow her voice, but not now. Now the world was eerily quiet, just the occasional bird or rustling of the trees. 

“I should get a compass and a map,” you mused to yourself, wishing you had something to help you out of this. “That is If I ever find my way out of here and back to what’s left of civilization.”

It’s not like you were exactly prepared for or even expecting the end of the world to happen. Hell, even before shit hit the fan, you were barely scraping by week to week. 

Most people thought of you as a free spirit, constantly moving around, never staying in a place for too long. And while you had your fun and had seen all sorts of wonderful places and had met the most interesting people, a part of you regretted not putting down any roots or living closer to your family. 

Under normal circumstances, you loved your lifestyle and wouldn’t have it any other way, but now that you were on your own in the middle of all this mess, you couldn’t help but wonder how it could’ve been had you been with your family or close friends.

Your ears perked up at the sound of water, it was faint, but hopefully, it wasn’t too far away. Automatically, your pace picked up as you moved towards the sound. 

You stumbled down a small hill, finding a creek at the bottom. You smiled to yourself, just relieved to see something new. At least it was something more memorable than trees. It could even serve as a little landmark.

You knelt down, dipping your hands into the cool water. It probably wasn’t safe to drink but it felt nice on your skin. You splashed some water on your face, helping you feel a little more awake and refreshed after your hours of walking in this heat.

You were almost tempted to strip and get in just to cool the rest of the way off, but you’d settle for just dipping your feet in. 

As you were undoing the laces on your boots, you heard whimpering coming from some place close by. You stilled your movements and focused on the sound. The cries were muffled, whoever it was was trying their best to stay quiet. 

“Hello?” You whispered, not wanting to draw any unwelcome attention to yourself, the last thing you needed was to have to run or fight off any zombies. 

You waited a moment for a reply, then took a deep breath, and spoke up a bit louder, “Anyone there?”

After a few seconds, a young girl with light brown hair peeked her head out from behind a nearby tree. She was clutching a doll tightly to her chest. 

Immediately your body relaxed. The poor girl looked terrified, not that you blamed her, if you were her age, lost in the woods with living corpses on the loose, you would’ve been petrified. 

“Did you get lost?” You asked softly. 

She nodded, taking a tentative step closer to you. 

You smiled warmly at her, hoping she’d come a little closer. “I’m y/n,” you started. “What’s your name?”

“Sophia,” she answered in a small voice. 

“Hi Sophia,” you smiled. “You come closer, I don’t bite.” You patted the spot next to you, and watched as she cautiously sat down. 

“How’d you get separated from your family, Sweetheart?”

She stared at the water, recalling what had happened the day before. “We were on the road, and a bunch of walkers came out of nowhere.” Her eyes started to water, “we all hid underneath the cars… but one almost got me, so I ran.”

You gently, rubbed her back as she started to cry.

“Mr. Grimes came after me,” she sniffled. “But there were more walkers. He told me to hide, so he could distract them… I was supposed to run back, and I did but I got lost. I-I couldn’t find the road and I was so afraid I’d run into one of those things.” Her shoulders shook as she cried harder. 

Wrapping an arm around her, you pulled her in for a hug. “It’s going to be alright,” you murmured. “We’ll find them together.”

You now felt a renewed sense of determination to find your way out of these woods, you wanted nothing more than to get this girl back to her mom. 

…

“I like your necklaces,” Sophia spoke up all of sudden causing you to smile. The two of you were walking hand in hand, hoping to find that highway she was talking about. 

“Oh yeah?”

She nodded, her eyes fixated on them, specifically the long ones with pretty crystals hanging off of them. “They’re very pretty.”

You slowed down, coming to a stop. Sophia looked up at you, curious as to what you were doing. 

“Can you let go of my hand for a second?” You asked, smiling at her. “It’ll be alright.”

Reluctantly, she released her hold, freeing your hand. 

You wiggled and stretched your fingers for a bit. Ever since you found her, she had held onto your hand with a death grip. Not that you minded, you figured she was scared of getting separated and being alone again, and in all honesty, you were afraid of the same thing. 

Reaching around behind your neck, you pulled one of your necklaces over your head. “Here,” You knelt down and held it in front of Sophia, it was a simple necklace with a single crystal pendant. 

“The crystal is an amethyst,” you pointed out. “It's for spiritual protection.”

You placed the necklace in her cupped hands, watching as she ran her fingers over the crystal. “You can keep it,” you chirped happily. 

She looked at you wide-eyed, before putting it on. “Thank you,” she whispered.

You nodded, and offered her your hand again, curling your fingers around her palm. “Which way do you think we should keep going?”

…

A couple of days had passed and you started getting worried. You kept it all to yourself though, putting on a brave front for Sophia’s sake.

But things weren’t looking good. You were already running low on food and water. You did your best to ration what was left between the two of you, often giving Sophia a little more than you gave yourself. 

You knew the more time that passed the less likely it was that her group would find either of you. 

In the daytime, you did everything you could to keep your and her spirits up, like playing little games of I Spy, quietly singing songs, asking her questions about her group. 

It sounded like they were a good group of people, for the most part, you wondered if they’d accept you. It had to be better than surviving on your own.

The further the two of you walked, the more lost you felt. It was as though the forest was endless, your own personal hell in a way. 

The nights so far had been the worst part. Once you’d find a semi safe-looking spot, you and Sophia would sit against a tree, she’d fall asleep curled by your side, while you stayed awake through the night keeping watch. 

That’s when things seemed the most hopeless to you, sitting alone in the dark with just your thoughts to keep you company. You wasted the hours worrying about all the things that could go wrong, how inevitably you’d run out of food, that one or more of those walkers, like Sophia called them, would find you… 

Not to mention, you were physically and mentally exhausted, you weren’t sure how much longer you could keep any of this up.

As the sun was beginning to rise, you spotted a walker out in the distance. However, you didn’t want to wake Sophia up yet, she needed her rest if the two of you were going to keep searching for your way out of this forest. 

You dug through your bag and took out your knife. Carefully, you stood up, trying your best to be quiet. You observed the walker carefully, it moved slowly with a limp. 

You had only killed a couple of them total, usually, you preferred just sneaking around and avoiding them. 

Sighing, you gripped the handle of the hunting knife tighter and tiptoed towards your target. 

Despite how many of these walkers you had seen, it still made you sick to your stomach, between the smell and their appearance you weren’t sure if you could even imagine anything more disgusting. 

You approached it from behind, taking a deep breath before taking a hold of its shoulder and plunging the knife through the back of its skull. 

Just like that, it fell to the ground. Stepping down onto its back, you reached down and tugged the knife back out. You tried your best to ignore the unpleasant squelching as you wiggled the knife free. 

Quickly, you returned to where Sophia was still soundly asleep. Taking out a rag, you wiped off the bloody knife, before slipping it back into your bag. 

…

Daryl huffed as he packed a bag and prepped for venturing out into the woods again.

He couldn’t stand the sight of Carol’s moping, he felt bad for her, he truly did, but comforting people wasn’t his strong suit. Made him feel useless watching someone cry and not being able to do a damn thing about.

He never received much comfort or sympathy growing up, his father and brother weren't compassionate types. So he didn’t have a clue as to how to make anyone else feel better. He had seen how Lori and Dale were with the others, always saying the right words, knowing what people needed to hear to get through the bad. 

The only thing Daryl could do was go back out there and find Sophia, which was a hell of a lot better than sitting around this farm twiddling his thumbs while everyone else was having a pity party. 

“You’re going back out there?” Carol asked softly, she appreciated all his efforts. It honestly surprised her when he volunteered to search for Sophia. A part of her had expected him not to care. 

The more she got to know Daryl, the more obvious were the differences between him and Merle. On the surface, he was tough and brash just like his brother, but somewhere inside of Daryl, he cared about the group, about people.

“Ain’t like anyone else is gonna,” he answered, slinging the backpack strap over his shoulder. 

Carol placed her hand on his forearm, squeezing lightly, “Thank you.”

Daryl glanced down for a moment before shrugging her hand off. 

“Someone’s gotta do it,” he muttered, tightly clenching his jaw. He headed towards the stables, figuring he’d be able to cover more ground by horse then just on foot.

…

“Sophia!” Daryl shouted on the top of his lungs, he didn’t give a damn if he drew the attention of every damn walker in the whole state. He was determined to find her. 

It felt like it was all up to him to find her, cause if he didn’t no one else was gonna step up. 

Rick had his hands full with Carl, and Daryl could tell that Shane had already given up on the girl. He understood why, little girl lost in the woods, no food, no water, the likelihood she was still alive was slim to none, but there was something in his gut saying otherwise, and it pushed him to keep searching. 

Each time he went out looking for her, he honestly believed that this was going to be the time he found her. That he stumbled across wherever she was hiding, and she’d be there, alive. 

He continued at a slow trot, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement, before picking up the pace. 

… 

Neither you nor Sophia had any energy left to keep going. 

You offered to carry her when she started falling behind and stumbling over her own feet. You crouched down, allowing her to wrap her arms loosely around your neck as you looped your arms to hold her legs. 

For a few hours, you had mustered up just enough will to keep pushing forward, but then it was like your body just gave up. You collapsed to your knees, and couldn’t find the will to stand back up.

Sophia had passed out, and your eyes were growing heavy, you had no fight left, but you tried you to at least stay conscious. You drag yourself over near a tree, so you and Sophia wouldn’t be completely exposed. 

You wrapped your arms around her. No matter how much you wanted to keep going, you just couldn’t. Days without sleep and water had finally caught up to you. You felt so heavy and limp. 

Looking up to the sky, the sunlight seeping through the leaves and branches was bright and warm. 

Your eyes started to water, this was probably your last day alive. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it had just been you, but you failed Sophia. You thought about Sophia’s poor mother, out there somewhere close by looking for her daughter. You had hoped you were going to be able to reunite the two of them. 

You began to openly weep as a wave of emotion crashed down on you. Maybe Sophia would’ve been better off without your help. 

You squeezed her shoulder gently and whispered an apology. 

Suddenly, you froze, you couldn’t believe your ears but it sounded like there was someone shouting in the distance. But he was too far, and you couldn’t quite make out what he was saying.

Wetting your lips with your tongue you tried to speak. But you could barely get a word out. 

“Sophia!” The man yelled, sounding like he was heading towards your direction. 

“Here,” you croaked, your voice cracking as you tried to speak louder. Your eyes watered, frustrated that he hadn’t heard you. 

“Sophia!” He shouted again. He sounded like he was closer, this was your chance. 

“HERE,” you repeated, straining your voice as you tried to shout, praying that he heard you this time. You watched closely in the direction you heard the voice. “Please,” you whispered, “we’re here.”

Time seemed to slow down, and it was absolute torture. You balled your fists tightly, waiting for someone, anyone coming to your rescue. Just as you were about to lose hope, a man with a crossbow emerged. 

He was covered in sweat and was panting. His short brown hair was a mess and there were bloodstains on his clothes. 

Daryl took a couple of steps forward, he couldn’t believe it. He had actually found Sophia. Although, he wasn’t expecting to find anyone else with her. 

“Is she alive?” He asked you.

You nodded in response. “Are you with her group?” You asked, your throat still sore from earlier. 

“Yeah,” he answered, trying to figure out how the hell he was going to get you both back to the farm. Sophia was out cold, and you didn’t seem to be any better off. 

Daryl scooped Sophia into his arms, then turned back to you. “Got a horse nearby, we just need to get ya to it.”

You nodded, just grateful that he wasn’t going to abandon you out here. You weren’t anyone to him, or to their group… the easiest thing would’ve been to leave you, and you would’ve understood.

As you stood up it felt like your legs were going to give out at any moment. Daryl allowed you to lean against him, as you made your way towards the horse. 

Somehow, you managed to find the strength to mount the horse. Daryl instructed you just to hold on, as he grabbed the reins to lead you and the horse back. With Sophia in his arms, he started walking back towards the farm. 

You rested against the horse, clutching its mane with your fingers. Your eyes felt heavy like you were going to pass out any minute, the world around you was blurry. Watching the trees pass, you thought you could see figures standing between them, tall dark shadowy figures. 

Shaking your head, you tried to focus on your and Sophia’s savior walking ahead of you instead. 

You smiled noticing the white wings on his back. You couldn’t figure out if it was another hallucination or if they were real. But maybe he really was an angel. 

You sighed, feeling safe in his company. Everything was going to be alright. You rested your eyes, the movements of the horse gently lulling you to sleep. 

Daryl stopped in his tracks when he heard a loud thud behind him like someone had dropped a sack of dirty laundry on the ground. 

Looking back, he saw the horse saddle empty and you laying in the dirt like a rag doll. 

“God damn it,” he muttered. 

He gently sat Sophia down, before wandering over to you. He crouched down to your level, making sure you were still alive. God, you were going to end up being more trouble than the girl. 

“Hey,” Daryl said sharply, patting your cheek, causing you to stir. 

Your eyes slowly opened, blinking a couple of times before they were able to focus on his face. You smiled at him, a warm sweet smile. With the light of the sun shining down on him so brightly, it looked almost as if he had a halo. 

“You really are an angel,” you mused in your partially delirious state. “You’ve got wings, a halo, and everything.”

Daryl scowled, “The hell you goin’ on about?”

You giggled, it was pretty funny to hear an angel curse. 

Daryl sighed and muttered something under his breath about how you probably went crazy out there. Before helping you sit up.

You looked over to the side and noticed the horse standing there. Tilting your head to the side, you asked “Did I fall off?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support on part 1! Daryl is probably the hardest character I've ever written for. I've got a lot of ideas for this fic, just hoping I stay motivated.

You groaned, rolling over to your side and snuggling further into the covers. This had to be the softest bed in the world, with fluffy plush pillows stuffed with down feathers under your head and a thick warm blanket draped over your body. You wanted nothing more than to stay here and never leave. God, this was a million times better than cold nights sleeping on the ground, this bed was heaven, absolute heaven. 

However, how you got here though was still a bit foggy, the last thing you could remember was an angel with a horse coming to save you and Sophia. Maybe this truly was heaven you thought to yourself. Either way, you were better off here than you were in that forest. 

You peeked an eye open as you heard the door creak. An old man with white hair stepped into the room. There was an air of wisdom and sensibility about him. 

“God?” You whispered, sitting up slightly.

The man gave you a skeptical look. “You must still be delirious,” he mused. “I’m Hershel, and this is my home.”

You nodded, taking a better look around. The room was decorated nicely, a typical farmhouse interior with white trim around the doorframe and windows. Definitely a nice place though. 

He walked over to the side of the bed and looked you over. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” you answered, stretching your arms above your head. 

“Good,” Hershel muttered. “When you first got here you weren’t making a lick of sense. You and that girl were in those woods for at least a week.”

“How is she?”

“She’s going to be alright. She just needs to rest,” he explained. “Most people had given up hope on finding her, my guess is she would’ve died without your help.”

You nodded, satisfied knowing Sophia was going to be okay.“That reminds me,” you started. “Where’d my angel go?”

Hershel quirked an eyebrow. “Angel?” He repeated.

“Yeah, I was saved by an angel,” you explained, trying to remember what he looked like exactly. You recalled his wings and halo, and that he didn't quite act like an angel should. 

Hershel stifled a laugh, “That man is a lot of things, but I doubt he’s any kind of angel.”

“I know, but he’s an angel to me,” You looked down fiddling with the blanket on your lap, “I’d like to thank him now that I’m thinking more clearly… I can’t remember if I did when he found us.”

Hershel nodded, “If I see him, I’ll send him this way. Trish will be bringing up something for you to eat and some clean clothes.”

“Thank you,” you smiled, your eyes meeting his before he left the room. 

…

In long strides, Daryl headed towards the RV, wanting to check in real quick on Sophia and Carol. 

The look on everyone’s face when he returned with her and a stranger ranged from genuine surprise to shock.

Carol ran as fast as she could, meeting him at the edge of the woods. Immediately she crumbled to her knees, crying, as Daryl placed Sophie in her arms, muttering thank you over and over again.

Other than Daryl, it seemed like no one else believed that Sophia was still alive out there, and most of them had given up on finding her too. 

Daryl thought back to you, back to the way you smiled at him while you were delirious, it was an image he couldn’t get out of his head. He couldn’t remember a time anyone else ever looked at him like that. 

Just as the RV was in sight, Daryl could overhear voices coming from the woods nearby. Carefully, he wandered over, curious as to who was being so secretive. 

Even with their voices hushed, it didn’t take Daryl long to identify who was talking. He frowned to himself listening closer, it was Rick and Shane, and from the sound of it, they were fighting over something. 

“So what? We’re supposed to take in every stray we meet?” Shane argued. 

“She helped one of our own,” Rick reasoned, stepping forward. “Sophia is alive because of her. We owe it to this woman.”

“We aren’t living in that kind of world anymore,” Shane insisted, gritting his teeth. 

“Take a look around you,” Rick hissed. “We’re here right now because of the decency of others, we aren’t those kinds of people, we aren’t animals, we aren’t just gonna abandon her.”

Daryl huffed as Shane tried to pull that same bullshit like he did over the search for Sophia. All that survival of the fittest crap. If that really were the case, their group would only consist of him, Rick, and Shane. 

“Daryl should’ve left her in those woods,” Shane spat. “We can’t afford to have another mouth to worry about.”

Daryl clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white. Shane was really starting to show his true colors, a part of Daryl was beginning to think the group would be better off without that asshole. 

Rick shook his head, he couldn’t believe Shane would even suggest telling that woman she had to go, to send her back out there on her own. And now this? Did he really think so little about the lives of others? 

“I don’t know what your problem is, but all that shit about numbers or math or whatever ain’t right, she’s a person, a good person… She stays. End of story.”

Rick stared Shane down, making his point crystal clear. He knew the rest of the group would agree with him if it came to the point of getting the others involved. Rick had no idea what was going on inside Shane’s head, but it was sending him red flags. 

Finally, Shane scoffed and stomped away, obviously still pissed off. 

Sighing, Rick ran a hand over his face, he was going to need to keep a closer eye on Shane. This wasn’t the first time he’s made Rick worry. Shane was acting unpredictably lately, and some of his behavior was off the rails, there was no telling what he might do next.

Daryl started walking back the way he came, for a hot second there it seemed like things might have gotten ugly, in which he would’ve stepped in and backed Rick up. 

…

You took another big bite of the apple Trish had brought up, moaning as you savored the taste, it felt like ages since you had fresh produce. 

“You can take a shower in there,” Trish explained gesturing to the attached bathroom. She sat some clean clothes on the dresser for you. “Tried to find you some things in your size, hope they fit alright.”

Your eyes widened as you processed what she just said… you could take a shower? You almost wanted to celebrate over the news. Honestly, ever since waking up it felt like you had won some kind of lottery or a free vacation. You thanked her as she left the room. 

The moment she was gone, you scurried out of the bed, stripping out of the dingy clothing you had been wearing for the last week. You could only imagine how terrible you smelled, surprised anyone welcomed you into such a nice home. 

Turning on the faucet to the tub, you practically squealed when the water started heating up. Carefully, you removed your jewelry, setting it all down on the sink. 

You couldn’t even describe the sound you made as you stepped in under the showerhead. It was a strange mix between a sigh, a laugh, and a moan. 

A week’s worth of grime and dirt rinsed off your body and down the drain. You scrubbed every inch of yourself, wanting to make sure you took full advantage of this chance. Who knows if you’d be fortunate enough to meet anyone else with a working shower on your travels. 

For a few extra minutes, you just stood under the running water, enjoying every second of warm water before finally getting out of the shower. 

… 

“Ah, there you are,” Hershel said as Daryl approached the house. The old man was sitting in a chair on the porch, keeping an eye on Rick’s group. “Our new guest was asking for you.”

Daryl narrowed his eyes, unsure what you’d want from him. 

"She seems to think she and that little girl have a guardian angel looking out for them," Hershel chuckled.

Daryl scowled. "Don't know what you're talkin' 'bout," he grumbled, climbing up the steps of the porch. 

Being inside the farm house made Daryl feel uncomfortable like he was too dirty or something. All his life he couldn’t remember being welcomed into a house this nice looking. 

Careful not to touch anything, he started going up the stairs. He didn’t even dare to touch the white banister, worried that he was tracking in dirt on his boots.

He knocked on the door and stuffed his hands back into pockets.

“Come in,” you called, still drying your hair. You were grinning like an idiot when Daryl stepped in. “There’s my angel!” You announced. 

"Will you knock it off with all that angel crap?" Daryl demanded trying his best to be intimidating and tough. 

You giggled, setting the towel down, and approached him. Your eyes and smile were the same, the exact same as they had been the first time you had mistaken him for an angel. He’d never admit it out loud, but he liked it, the way that you saw him.

“Why? As far as I’m concerned you’re heaven sent. Without you, me and Sophia would’ve died out there.” 

Daryl turned his head away, rubbing the back of his neck, he’d be damned if he allowed you to catch him blushing. 

“Anyways, I asked for you, cause I wanted to say thank you,” you explained, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder, right before giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks,” you murmured.

Daryl scoffed, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand. “It was nothin’.”

You shook your head, “it wasn’t nothing.”

His piercing eyes met yours and your heart practically stopped. Just as you were about to lean forward again, Daryl cleared his throat, “you oughta put on a shirt, before going out there.” 

You laughed, grabbing the white tee off the dresser, you were too distracted by Daryl to realize you were only wearing pants and a bra. 

He rolled his eyes and left the room closing the door behind him. As you were pulling the shirt over your head you could hear him slowly descending the stairs muttering something to himself.

…

“You mean it?” You asked Rick flabbergasted, worried you didn’t hear him right. “Are you really saying I can stay with you all?”

“I am,” Rick nodded. “As far as I’m concerned you're one of us.”

With an excited shriek, you slung your arms around his neck in a quick hug. “Thank you!”

Rick laughed and patted your back. 

You were ecstatic, when he asked to speak with alone and had pulled you to the side away from everyone, you assumed he was going to tell you that you had to go. But instead you received the best news imaginable for your situation.

As you pulled away from Rick, you felt someone watching you, it made the hairs on the back of your neck stand. 

Looking around you saw a man with a buzzed haircut who was stalking off, he hadn’t spoken a word to you or bothered to introduce himself, but you heard the others refer to him as Shane. His body language was very aggressive, he was definitely pissed about something. 

Once he was out of sight, you rubbed your arms up and down getting rid of the goosebumps that had appeared and made a mental note to avoid that man as much as possible. Whoever he was, he was giving off some serious bad vibes and nothing good was going to come of it. 

“Did he tell you!?” An excited voice screeched, snapping you out of your stupor. Two thin arms wrapped around your middle, hugging you tightly.

You laughed, “he did!”

“So that means you’re staying with us, right?” Sophia asked, practically squeezing the life out of you.

“Yep.”

Looking up from Sophia, you saw her mother standing nearby, a soft smile on her face as she watched the two of you. 

You gave her a small wave, before returning Sophia’s hug. 

…

You settled into a routine with the group rather quickly, helping out with whatever you could from laundry to going on runs with Glenn. They were all friendly people for the most part with the exception of Shane. 

Anytime the man was around, it put you on edge even with the others around. It seemed pretty apparent that he didn’t like you much, he’d seem perfectly fine until he noticed that you were nearby. All you could hope for was that he wouldn’t try to persuade Rick to force you to leave.

You were humming a random song to yourself while hanging laundry on the clothesline. It was a good day for it, plenty of sunshine and even a nice breeze, these clothes would dry in no time. 

Reaching down into the wicker basket, you pulled out a white t-shirt, as you were pinning it to the line someone grabbed your forearm. 

You gasped, where the hell did Shane come from?

“Shane,” you stuttered, wrenching your arm out of his grasp. “You scared me.”

He looked down at you, his eyes full of hatred towards you. “You’re going to get us all killed.”

You furrowed your brow, “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb,” He snapped, shaking his head. “Not everyone is capable of surviving this… you’re weak…”

You shrunk back, worried that whatever you did or tried next would only set him off. 

He took another step forward, “I’ll be damned if I let you risk it for the rest of us.”

Daryl's eyes narrowed as he came out of the woods. His grip on his crossbow tightening. Your body language alone was enough for him to notice that you were uncomfortable. 

“Hey!” Daryl shouted. “Thought you wanted me to teach you how to skin an animal.” He held up the rabbits he just caught. 

You blinked in surprise, looking at Daryl, his expression was practically murderous as he stared at Shane, who immediately backed off, taking a few steps away from you. 

“Well I ain’t got all day,” Daryl complained, gesturing for you to come with him.

Finally, it dawned on you what he was doing. 

“R-Right,” you squeaked, quickly shuffling away and over to Daryl. You kept your head down, still feeling Shane’s eyes on you.

“C’mon,” Daryl said, gently placing a hand on your upper back and guiding you back towards the RV. 

“Thanks, Angel,” you murmured, once you believed you were far away enough that Shane couldn’t hear you. 

“Don’t mention it,” he muttered, turning around and giving Shane a dirty look. The next time that asshole decides to corner you like that, Daryl was going to beat the shit out of him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little fluffier than the last two. I feel like I rushed through a few parts, but I was just trying to avoid getting stuck because then I don't finish anything and eventually lose motivation (I have so many WIPs that are literally just missing a few parts)

Your heart was racing, your eyes wide staring at the gruesome sight before you. Dozens of dead walkers were lying lifeless on the green grass. This little slice of heaven now tainted with the nightmare of this reality. 

Despite how crazy and belligerent Shane has been lately, he had a point. There’s no safe way to live with walkers. The barn wasn’t going to contain them forever. And you hated to think what would’ve happened if they had somehow managed to break free while no one was prepared or ready for it. That many walkers could have easily taken out most of the group. 

Yet, you weren’t sure how to feel over it. 

You felt bad for Hershel and his family, he was your host after all, and the man who not only cared for injuries but Carl’s and Sophia’s. This was his property and those walkers, those corpses, were his people, people he knew and cared about. 

In all honesty, you weren’t sure if you’d have it in you to kill someone you loved, even if they were a walker. However, you’d like to believe that you would be able to see it as it really is, that these corpses aren’t the people they once were. Everything that made them a person died with them, and there seemed to be a part of Hershel that was obviously struggling with that fact.

You jerked with a start, as someone gently pried the revolver from your hand. Finally, tearing your eyes away from the scene before you, you looked up at Daryl. 

He narrowed his eyes, “you good?”

You nodded, and took a breath, “I’m good.”

With that, Daryl started helping the group clean up this mess.

As it started getting dark out, you started feeling incredibly anxious. Seeing that many walkers altogether had you all worked up. Part of it was adrenaline, the rest, however, was fear. 

Thoughts of walkers emerging from out of the forest plagued your mind. Just an endless stream of them, pouring in and surrounding the group. 

You remembered Sophia telling you about that horde they saw on the highway, a massive group of them all traveling in the same direction… you hadn’t given it much thought since then, but what if that horde was somehow led here?

You shivered at the thought alone. 

Since the beginning of all this madness, you avoided big cities, sticking with small back roads and raiding small little convenience stores for supplies. At most you had come across 3 to 4 walkers together in one building. Usually, you were able to sneak in and grab what you needed without drawing them to you. 

You were restless that night, tossing and turning, your mind racing to all the what if’s. After hours of trying to fall asleep and failing, you decided to make yourself useful.

You offered to take some night shifts keeping watch and did other work as well to keep yourself busy. When the next night came around, sleep was still just as elusive. 

It reminded you of being back out there in those, staying up every night to watch over Sophia, but now you had more people to worry about, more people you wanted to protect. Not to mention, what you wanted to protect them from was a much scarier threat than just a few stray walkers. 

… 

“Hey angel,” you said softly, as Daryl took a seat next to you. 

“Hey,” he muttered back, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the fire. He wasn’t used to you being so quiet. Usually, you were a little chatterbox, always asking him questions or teasing him. 

Daryl knew you weren’t sleeping at night, in fact, this was the third night in a row that you were pushing yourself. For whatever reason you were staying up, claiming you wanted to keep an eye out over the camp, not that it would do anybody any good if you were exhausted.

Just by looking at you, and seeing how odd you were acting, he figured the problem was bigger than that. 

“Why aren’t you sleepin’?” He finally asked, trying to hide his concern as irritation.

“I can’t,” you admitted, looking down at your feet. “Can’t seem to relax. I feel more scared now, then I felt out there in those woods.”

Sighing, Daryl thought for a moment, before standing up and stepping over the log. Without another word, he headed back towards camp. A few moments later he reappeared, grabbing your hand.

You practically tripped over your feet as he pulled you up and started walking, still holding your hand. His pace was fast as though he was in a big hurry, making it hard for you to keep up. You wished he’d slow down a bit so he’d hold your hand longer, maybe even pretend that the two of you were on a late-night stroll. 

Still, you were secretly enjoying every moment of it, taking advantage of the time you did have, you squeezed his hand tighter, focusing on all the little details like how rough his palm and calloused fingers were. 

Distracted, you stared at where your hands were clasped instead of where you were heading. Luckily, you only stumbled a few times.

You gave him a confused look as the two of you stopped in front of his tent. 

“Go on,” he muttered nodding towards the tent and releasing your hand. 

Crouching down a little, you entered the tent, then smiled. The first thing you noticed was that someone had grabbed your things and sleeping bag and had hastily placed them on the floor. 

Daryl shuffled in behind you. You bit your lip and gave him a sideways glance. 

“You ain’t gonna be any help to anyone exhausted,” He explained. Daryl knelt down untying his boots, then kicking them off. 

You followed his lead taking off your own shoes, and settled on top of your sleeping bag. 

Daryl laid down on his, his back facing you. 

You closed your eyes, the image of Daryl laying beside you still fresh in your head. Anytime you were with him, he always made you feel so safe, deep down you wished that you could be with him every day and everywhere.

Peeking an eye open you looked over at Daryl, then whispered, “Promise me you’re not gonna leave?”

“I ain’t leavin’” Daryl looked over his shoulder and grumbled, “This is my tent.” 

You giggled to yourself, and closed your eyes, “Good night, Daryl.”

…

Groaning, Daryl rubbed his face, slowly waking up. 

He hadn’t slept so well in ages, during most nights the smallest noise or creak would wake him, even before all this walker crap. He sighed, feeling so warm and cozy that he was considering staying in bed longer. 

He felt you stir, your hand clutching his shirt a little tighter, at first he didn’t think much of it and tried to go back to sleep. But as soon as he realized that your head was on his chest and your arms were wrapped around his waist, Daryl’s eyes snapped back open. 

In a rush, he practically pushed you off of him, grabbing his boots as he bolted out of the tent. His face felt hot, welcoming the cool morning air. Bending down to tie his boots, he muttered to himself about how that damn woman was going to be the death of him.

“Morning, Daryl!” Glenn greeted loudly, a big smile on his face. “Was thinking about going on a run, wanted to see if you wanted to come with?”

As Daryl stood up, your sleepy voice called out from the tent, wondering where he had gone off to, “Angel?”

Glenn stared at the tent, his mouth falling open, “is that... Are you and her-“

Immediately, Daryl got up in Glenn’s face. "You'll keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for ya,” he warned, glaring down at Glenn. 

Glenn frantically nodded, lips pursed tightly. The last person he’d ever want to piss off is Daryl, we’ll and Shane. If he could he’d like to not end up on Daryl’s shit list. 

“Good.” Satisfied that he got his point across, Daryl backed off. 

Quickly, Glenn left wanting to kick himself, he just seemed to have the worst timing. “Goddammit,” he muttered, now having another secret to worry about. 

… 

That morning you were all smiles, feeling absolutely refreshed and well-rested just like you had when you first woke up at the farm. You still couldn’t get over Daryl inviting you to sleep in his tent. Honestly, he probably had to be the sweetest man alive. 

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Andrea asked, looking up at you as you finally joined the group for breakfast. 

You stretched your arms above, “Oh, just had a good night’s rest is all!” 

You spotted Daryl sitting on the outskirts near the rest of the group and gave him a quick wink. 

Nobody else really caught it, except for Glenn, who started to sputter and choke on his breakfast. How the hell was he supposed to keep it a secret if you were just going to go around doing crap like that?

Daryl turned his head and rubbed the back of his neck before clasping his hands together and staring at them for a moment. 

The last thing he wanted was for everyone to think something was going on between the two of you. He already had Glenn to worry about, and now there’d be no convincing him that the two of you weren’t fucking. 

“Are you alright, Glenn?” You asked, walking up to him full of concern. 

“Fine!” He answered hurriedly, suddenly standing up with his plate in his hand and leaving. 

Daryl shook his head, fucking kid, by the end of the day the whole camp was going to know. 

You watched as Glenn left, tilting your head, “Did I do something?” 

“Nah,” Daryl said, handing you a plate. “Kid’s just skittish.” 

…

It was your nightmare come true, a whole horde of walkers coming towards the farm. You tried to remain calm but panic was starting to set in. You could hear them growling, so many of them growling. 

You stood there frozen on the porch with your hands over your mouth. Carol and Sophia went back inside the house to help Lori find Carl. 

Somewhere out there in that mess were Rick, Shane, and most likely Carl. You were about to help Daryl find them until you noticed the horde heading towards the house. 

Maggie came out of the house with a duffle bag full of guns. You couldn’t believe they were going to try to fight them off. The smartest thing to do would be to run, but there seemed to be no convincing the Greene family.

“You gonna take ‘em all on all?” Daryl asked, looking back at the horde then to Hershel. There was no way they were going to be able to kill them all. 

Hershel loaded his rifle. “We have guns. We have cars.”

“Kill as many as we can,” Andrea added, kneeling down and getting ready to start shooting. “And we’ll use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm.”

“Are you serious?” Daryl questioned. 

“This is my farm,” Hershel answered firmly. “I’ll die here.”

“All right. It’s as good a night as any.” With that, Daryl jumped over the banister on the porch, then turned back looking at you. 

“C’mon,” Daryl said motioning for you to follow him. 

You didn’t question him about it, instead you immediately climbed over the banister after him.

Daryl stopped once he reached his motorcycle, he hopped on then looked over at you expectantly. “Well, we ain’t got all night.”

“Oh right,” you nodded, climbing on behind him, hesitantly, grabbing onto his waist as he started the engine. 

You held on to him tighter as the two of you pulled up in front of the fence that surrounded the barn, Maggie, T-dog, and Jimmy followed behind. 

Daryl started shooting walkers, before ordering Jimmy to bring the RV around, saying something about how Rick or Shane must have started the fire. It was impressive watching Daryl take charge of all this chaos. 

Taking a deep breath, you finally fired your gun, hitting your target right through the head. Everything was happening so fast, no matter how many walkers you shot, more just seemed to take their place. 

They had the entire farm surrounded, and were now making their way to the farmhouse now. There weren’t enough bullets or distractions to get rid of all of them. It was becoming rather obvious that there was no chance of saving the farm. 

It seemed like everyone else seemed to realize the same thing. Daryl followed the SUV Maggie and Glenn were in. 

You briefly looked back at the farm, the barn was completely engulfed in flames now and at least a hundred walkers had surrounded the house. Closing your eyes, you rested your head against Daryl’s back, listening to the rumble of the motorcycle. 

…

As the vehicles approached the highway, you spotted Rick, Carl, Hershel, Carol, and Sophia. 

You stumbled back a little as Sophia practically tackled you. “You’re alright!” She shouted. 

“Well of course I am,” you said. “I was with an angel.”

You could sense Daryl beside you scowling at the nickname, but by now you were absolutely convinced he was one, he was your angel, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Sadly, the reunion was short-lived. It was hard not to notice how much smaller the group was, first Dale, and now Shane, Trish, Jimmy, and Andrea. 

Everyone was wondering what to do next, how to avoid being overrun by another horde. There didn’t seem to be very many options. But you hoped Rick was right, that there was a place out there that could be home, that could be safe. 

As Rick was questioned about Shane’s and Randall’s death the truth came out about how everyone was already infected, there was a mix of reactions from the group. Several reacted with anger, rightfully so, but there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. 

As the group processed the information, you noticed Daryl wandering around.

Despite the fact that this probably wasn’t the best time and that he most likely needed a minute to himself, you approached him anyways. Since last night, you had been meaning to ask him something but hadn’t had the chance to. 

“Daryl, can I talk to you for a moment?” You asked. “It’ll be real quick.” 

He nodded, still walking towards the nearby woods. 

“Why did you let me come with you last night?” You asked. “You probably would’ve been better off alone.”

“It don’t matter why,” he huffed, shaking his head. 

“It matters to me,” you murmured, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt. 

He finally stopped walking and turned around.

You looked him in the eye, “I was terrified, I may not have survived without you. I could’ve met the same fate as Trish or Andrea...”

Daryl sighed, clenching and unclenching his fists, “You asked me not to leave ya, and I’m a man of my word.”

Your eyes went wide, did he really take that request from that night as you asking him to never leave you? 

The gesture was so thoughtful and sweet that you almost felt like crying. With as much grief as he gives you for calling him angel, you’d think he’d stop doing things like this, but instead, he keeps proving you right. He was too good to be true. 

You wrapped your arms around him, burying your face against the crook of his neck, and just started to cry. 

Daryl stiffened under the sudden contact but didn’t do anything to stop you. With one hand, he patted your back a couple of times. 

Finally, you pulled away, and wiped your eyes, “Angel, I-“

“Hey!” Glenn shouted, finally finding the two of you. “We’re starting to set up camp for…” he trailed off, noticing that you and Daryl were having a moment. “Oh, shit, sorry! I’ll go.”

You raised your eyebrows, watching as Glenn scurried back to the highway. 

Daryl tsked, “Damn kid needs to calm down.” 

Laughing, you bit your lip and glanced over at Daryl, “C’mon, angel.” You extended your hand towards him, “just in case, I wouldn't want to get lost again.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoy this next part :) Thank you, everyone, who has left comments or shown support, really helps keep me motivated to write!

You were laying out on the grass, in front of the prison, enjoying the feeling of the sun on your skin. Turning your head, you could see a couple of walkers banging on the fence, but there wasn’t any urgency. Closing your eyes and sighing, you continued soaking in the warmth of the sun’s rays.

After months of traveling and living on the road, it seemed like finding a new home, a new safe haven was a dream of a dream. 

Seeing so many houses and towns abandoned made the world seem like a shell of itself. It was almost like living in an episode of the Twilight Zone. 

Every day you would come across something that reminded you of how things used to be, such as while rummaging for supplies in an empty home, you’d end up finding a forgotten family photo album or family portrait, and deep down you longed for that safer, easier life. 

Then there were the walkers, a never-ending threat, a fear that everyone had to live with, and that worry whenever entering a new building if you turned a corner or opened a door that it could be your last. 

Who would’ve believed that you’d find such comfort and peace behind a fence or behind bars? 

“Hey,” a voice said as their body plopped down beside you. 

“Hi buttercup,” you smiled, keeping your eyes shut. 

Sophia stretched her arms above her head, looking around. “You know what this place needs,” she mused. “Flowers.”

You nodded your head, “Ah yes, big yellow sunflowers would be nice.”

“Those are pretty,” she commented.

“And useful,” you added. You could feel her giving you a skeptical look, you smiled wider. “We can roast and eat the seeds, and there are some medical uses too.”

“Are there other flowers that are helpful?”

“There are,” You said sitting up. “And lots of other plants that can be helpful too. I’ll keep an eye out for seeds next time I’m on a run. Would you like to be my helper?”

“Yes! We’ll start our own flower garden!” She said eagerly. 

“Yep, I think that’s exactly what this place needs,” you murmured to yourself. You stood up and started scanning the area, trying to decide where the garden should go. “We should probably ask Rick first.”

There was a nice spot over by the east side of the prison, plenty of sunshine in the mornings and in the evening it would be nicely shaded. Water was scarce, but if you could figure out a way to collect rainwater that would help.

You turned around and looked back at Sophia, “Race you to the prison.” With that you took off running, laughing as Sophia called you a cheater. 

Still giggling, you found Rick and some of the others inside the prison. 

“Hey Rick,” you greeted, rocking on the balls of your feet with your hands clasped behind your back.

“Need something?” He asked, turning his attention to you. 

“I was thinking of starting a small garden, over around there,” you explained, vaguely gesturing with your head. “Wanted to make sure it was alright with you first.”

“We’re going to plant flowers,” Sophia butted in. 

Rick smiled and shrugged, “Don’t see why not.”

Sophia squealed beside you and you laughed, “Still have to find seeds and whatnot,” you told her. “But we can start tomorrow morning by getting the soil ready.”

…

You wiped the sweat from your brow and leaned against your shovel. The garden was starting to come along, you hadn’t found many things to plant yet, but it was better than nothing. 

“So, what did you do before all this?” Glenn asked, walking over and admiring the work you had done so far.

You shrugged, “a little of this and a little of that.”

“Oh come on, that’s worse than Daryl’s answer!” Glenn complained. “Anytime anyone has asked, he always replies with its none of your goddamn business.”

You smiled, you could easily picture Daryl scowling at the question. “Well that’s probably because it is God’s business,” you joked. 

Glenn laughed lightly, “still can’t believe he lets you get away with all that angel talk. It’s probably because the two of you are sleeping together.”

Your fell face at the comment, but just as you were about to question him, Hershel approached. 

He was getting quick on those crutches. He smiled at the beginnings of your little project. “It’s looking good so far,” he chuckled. 

You rubbed the back of your head, “I guess so. Nothing compared to your farm of course.”

…

Daryl was doing maintenance on his bow when Sophia quietly shuffled into the room. 

“Mr. Dixon,” she started, standing by the door. Even after everything, Sophia was still shy around most everyone with the exception of her mother, you, and Carl. 

“What is it?” He asked, focused on what he was doing. 

“We’re going to be starting a flower garden, y/n and I,” she explained, smiling brightly. 

Daryl nodded, still working. 

She fidgeted with her necklace for a moment, moving the pendant side to side. 

“Y/n was hoping to plant some sunflowers, and I was just thinking if you come across any kind of seeds you could bring them back with you, y’know? We’re hoping to plant all sorts of flowers.” She rattled off. 

Daryl sighed, looking over at Sophia, who was looking at him hopefully, “Alright, if I see any I’ll bring them back.”

“Thank you!” She shrieked, giving him a quick hug. 

He clenched his jaw for a moment, mulling things over, “what flowers did you say she wanted?” 

“Sunflowers!” Sophia shouted as she skipped out of the room. 

…

Daryl pulled up to the gates, he had left for a solo supply run just as the sun was rising. He had scoured a few abandoned homes, killed a couple of walkers, nothing too eventful or worthwhile. 

You sat your tools aside, and dusted yourself off, heading over and meeting Daryl by the gate. 

“Did you have any luck?” You asked. 

“Not really,” he said, getting off of his motorcycle. Opening his pack he pulled out a shoebox that had probably seen better days. 

“Shoes?” You questioned, lifting your brow. 

He shook his head and thrust the dirty worn box into your hands. “Here,” he muttered before heading inside. 

Curious, you opened the lid, finding that it was filled with seed packets inside. You bit your lip and sat on the ground. Carefully, you started going through the packets, setting aside the most useful ones. 

You were bubbling with excitement over the find, if you could manage to gather enough water and get some extra help, you could have a pretty nice crop going besides just a little flower garden. 

You paused, noticing underneath the top layer of packets, was a sunflower, the stem had been cut by a serrated knife leaving it rough and jagged, it was also missing a few petals, but still, it was a beautiful sight. 

Looking back at the prison, you wondered if there was something you could do for Daryl in return. Most people wouldn’t have bothered even looking in this box, figuring it was probably just junk. Plus, you couldn’t even put into words how you felt over the flower. 

You clutched the flower tightly, you had been meaning to do something for him for months now, even before this new surprise. You narrowed your eyes, what the hell would he even like?

...

“Guess who finally picked the lock to the warden’s office,” you sang, joining Daryl on the watchtower. 

Daryl looked up at you, blinking in surprise over the dried blood on your shirt, “what the hell happened to you?”

You looked down at the stain, “Oh yeah, that, there was a walker inside, but I took care of it.”

Daryl shook his head, “you’re gonna get yourself killed doing stupid shit like that.”

“Sorry,” you sighed, feeling bad for making him worry. “But look at what I found.” You held up the fancy bottle of scotch and smiled. “Thought we could share it.”

Daryl rolled his eyes but scooted over for you to sit next to him.

You opened the bottle and took the first drink before handing it to him. Closing your eyes, you listened to the crickets and Daryl breathing. It was a cool and peaceful night, perfect for relaxing and loosening up a bit.

“Thank you for the seeds and the flower,” you said, breaking the silence. 

He didn’t reply, simply taking another swig from the bottle, and staring out into the distance. 

He wasn’t quite sure what motivated him to do it. The box of seeds was one thing, but searching for a Goddamn sunflower just so he could bring you one was another. 

Daryl could practically hear Merle in his head taunting him, telling him he’d gone soft for some bitch. His hands balled into fists involuntarily, the thought of a Merle referring to you as a bitch pissed him off. 

‘What’s a matter with you boy?’ Imaginary Merle asked. ‘Never thought l’d see my kid brother wrapped around some woman’s finger.’

Daryl leaned back, clenching his jaw, all this was unfamiliar territory, all these things he felt, the way he thought about you. Maybe he was going soft… scowling he drank more, hoping to put an end to the voice going on and on in the back of his mind.

You took the bottle from him, taking a big drink and sighing as a wave of nostalgia washed over you, “I remember getting my heart broken on a night like this, damn bastard.”

Daryl peeked over at you. You rarely cursed and you rarely seemed anything other than sweet and happy. But the bitterness and hurt in your voice were evident. 

You examined the bottle in your hands, a quarter of it already gone. “I was dumb, so fucking dumb. I left home without a second thought and followed the man I loved across the country. I don’t know what I expected… marriage and babies, I guess, but instead what I ended up with was an immature manipulative dick.”

“I packed up what little I had, and left that small crappy apartment in the middle of the night... I couldn’t go back home, so I hitched a ride going as far as the driver would take me,” you wrapped your arms around yourself. “Since then my entire life could fit in one suitcase.”

Tossing your head back you took another big gulp and wiped your mouth with the back of your hand. 

You could easily recall that night you left, standing on the street corner feeling like a lost soul in the dark. No one to turn to, nowhere to go, it was scary but there was also a certain freedom to it. You were on your own, nothing tying you down or holding you up. 

“You been on your own since then?” Daryl asked.

“Mostly,” you shrugged. “I’ve been fortunate though, met some decent people on my travels… and some interesting ones.”

You passed the bottle back to him, “I heard from the others about what happened with your brother,” you started. “Sounds like you and him have been through a lot together.”

He nodded, “Merle’s tougher than nails, none of these walkers would ever get the jump on him. He’s out there somewhere.”

“The two of you have that in common then,” You smiled. “From what I’ve gathered, it sounded like the two of you were inseparable, always having each other’s backs and whatnot.”

Daryl frowned. “Not all the time,” he corrected you. 

Merle had been the first one to leave, having left Daryl behind without a second thought. This time around, Daryl didn’t have a choice, at least not in the same way. 

“But I guess we’re even now,” he murmured. 

“It must’ve been hard not going after him,” you commented. “But I know we’re all grateful that you stuck around. We need you.”

Daryl sighed, he didn’t regret his choice, he was needed here. But he still felt like he’d owed it to Merle to find him. They were family, blood, Merle was all he had in this world. 

Taking another sip, your eyes wandered over to the beginnings of your garden. 

“Y’know the best thing about my childhood home were the sunflowers that grew outside of my window,” You laughed dryly wiping a few stray tears. “Guess I’m just hoping this could be home for all of us.”

Daryl nodded, “If we’re smart, and if we’re careful, it can be.”

Resting your head on your hand, you admired Daryl, he was a handsome man, there was no doubt about that, but it was his arms and hands that stood out to you the most. There were many mornings you wished you could wake up in those arms. 

You glanced at his face, your angel seemed to have a lot on his mind. You had hoped when you found the bottle of scotch it would’ve helped him relax a little. 

But by now, you had enough to drink that you were feeling that buzz of confidence. 

“Angel,” you whispered leaning forward, your eyes closed, and your hand reaching out to cup his face.

Immediately, Daryl placed his hands on your shoulders, stopping you from getting any closer. 

There was a part of him that wanted this to happen, to pull you close and run his fingers through your hair, but there was also fear. He had never really been one for relationships, he didn’t have much experience with romance either. Not to mention, it seemed wrong to want to kiss a drunk woman.

You opened your eyes slowly, looking at Daryl full of confusion. Immediately backing away when you saw his face.

“Sorry, sorry,” you stood up, keeping your eyes downcast, unable to look at him. Your face felt like it was on fire. “I-I should go,” you mumbled, stumbling as you took a few steps forward.

“Wait,” Daryl spoke up, grabbing your arm. “You’ll break your damn neck trying to climb down drunk.”

You kept your head down but nodded trying desperately to hold back tears. You were feeling absolutely overwhelmed by your emotions, and your inebriated state making it harder to control them. 

“I’ll climb down first,” he explained, that way if you lost your footing and slipped and he could try to catch you. 

Once you made it to the ground, you were still so flustered that you quickly wished him a good night before brushing past him and heading towards the prison. 

Daryl watched as you briskly walked away, eventually climbing back up to the watchtower once you were inside. He grabbed the bottle of scotch taking one more drink before replacing the lid. He hoped he hadn’t just fucked things up.


End file.
